How a friend’s drunk call led to a paralyzed man becoming Neuralink’s patient zero – five months later he’s playing Mario Kart with his mind

A drunken phone call from a friend changed a man’s life forever.

Noland Arbaugh, 29, shot to fame after he was revealed as the first Neuralink patient to get the brain chip, but it all started when his friend made a slurred phone call in September.

Arbaugh was paralyzed in a diving accident eight years ago.

The friend called Arbaugh to tell him that Elon Musk had opened human trials and urged him to sign up and even helped him fill out the form.

Just five months after being approved for the Neuralink study, Arbaugh had an advanced brain chip embedded in his skull.

Since undergoing brain chip implant surgery, Arbaugh has made waves by playing an online chess game using only his mind and pulling an all-nighter to play video games for the first time since he was paralyzed from the neck down in a diving accident. years ago.

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He said his friend was studying biology and working in a neuroscience lab and called to tell him that Neuralink had just received FDA approval and opened applications for clinical trials and that Arbaugh should sign up.

“I was like, ‘What the hell is Neuralink,’” Arbaugh said, adding, “The best part of the story is he was drunk when he did it. He was drunk and called me around noon.’

Arbaugh said his friend helped him fill out the application online, and even though his friend misspelled his name, he was still offered an interview.

When the interview slots opened, Arbaugh chose the earliest each time, hoping that this would give him an advantage if he was selected to receive the brain chip.

He took time to think about whether receiving the brain chip was something he wanted and had to weigh the pros and cons and what it would mean for his family.

“I definitely took the time to step back and evaluate all the downsides I might bring to my family,” he said.

‘Not just the health drawbacks – things that could have happened during the operation or afterwards – but everything that comes with it, like any celebrity.’

But once he decided to go ahead with the procedure, Arbaugh said, “It was really crazy how quickly everything happened.”

In the weeks and months that followed, Arbaugh had to get used to the brain chip implant and said they were still working out the kinks, though he didn’t specify what they were.

Videos of Arbaugh playing chess online using only his mind and playing a Mario Kart video game with his father appeared on the screen during his Neuralink interview, and when he tried to explain what it felt like, he didn’t have the words.

“I can feel myself moving my index finger,” Arbaugh said. ‘It’s not moving, but I can feel it.

‘… It’s such a wild feeling. … It’s very difficult to explain,” he said.

Neuralink kept Arbaugh’s identity confidential until he was live-streamed last week playing chess online by moving the cursor on the screen using the chip implant.

When Arbaugh finally got the opportunity to play Civilization IV – a game he hadn’t been able to play since before his accident – ​​he pulled an all-nighter and played for eight hours straight.

‘I’m so lucky, everything lines up just like the stars.

“It was September 19th…and five months later I had brain surgery,” Arbaugh continued.

“It all happened so quickly,” he said, “and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Although Arbaugh has expressed his pleasure and enthusiasm about being Neuralink’s first test subject, his interviews come as the company has faced intense criticism over its handling of the first round of animal testing.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) wrote a letter to the FDA earlier this week, criticizing the agency for failing to inspect the long list of animal cruelty allegations.

Former employees claimed that Neuralink’s tests caused unnecessary suffering and the death of more than 1,500 animals.

Company denied the claims and said at the time: ‘Currently, all new medical devices and treatments must be tested on animals before they can be ethically tested on humans.

“Neuralink is not unique in this regard,” it added. “At Neuralink we are absolutely committed to working with animals in the most humane and ethical way.”

Meanwhile, Musk posted on X on March 21, proclaiming that “not a single monkey has died or been seriously injured by a Neuralink device.”